SPLC Action Fund Applauds Selection of Michael Regan as Next Head of EPA, Calls for New Focus on Environmental Justice

WASHINGTON, D.C. – President-elect Joe Biden has selected Michael Regan -- who leads the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality -- to be the next head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Regan, 44, will be the first Black man to ever lead the EPA.

Margaret Huang, president and CEO of SPLC Action Fund, issued the following statement in response:  

“Michael Regan’s selection will help reverse the devastating damage that the Trump administration has done to the environment and pave the way to finally address the unique damage that climate change and environmental degradation have done to communities of color. 

“For four years, President Trump has deliberately weakened protections that ensure the safety of our air, water, and land. A recent analysis found that Trump has weakened or wiped out more than 125 rules and regulations, in part by appointing former lobbyists from the oil and gas industry to key positions throughout his administration. 

“Low-income communities and people of color have borne the brunt of these horrifying policies. Black and Brown people, as well as immigrants, are more likely to work in occupations that are directly impacted by EPA regulations like farming, where they may face dangerous pesticides, or housekeeping, where they interact with an array of potentially harmful chemical agents. And Trump’s own EPA found that people of color are much more likely to live near polluters and breathe polluted air. 

“We at SPLC Action Fund strive to ensure that people living in poverty, particularly communities of color, are not exploited because of their economic status. Today, far too many communities live in an unhealthy environment simply because they are poor. This needs to change.  

“We are confident that Michael Regan will help right that historical wrong. He has years of experience fighting for clean energy and environmental justice. As the first Black man to lead the agency, Regan has a unique and deeply personal connection to the issue of environmental justice -- and could lead a long overdue effort to finally bring it about for all people.”